Observation/Reflection #3
During group work, my CT does not just approach groups that have questions, but tries to make it around to each team to either observe what they are doing and see if they are on the right track, or if they need a little guidance. His visits with each group are always interactive and never simply an additional lecture or comment. He asks questions to guide them and makes sure that they are heading in the right direction before he moves on. Students value his help and based on their feedback do not seem to expect him to just give answers. I think that in some ways his classroom is based on mutual respect. He values their input as much as they value his, but there is also an understanding of where the control lies in the classroom, and that is with the teacher. As I mentioned in a previous entry, because Mr. Reis shows interest in other aspects of his students lives, he knows how to more effectively guide them in group work. Two different groups had similar questions, but for one he related finding the answer to soccer since three of the students play on his team, and with the other group he did not use a metaphor but just asked them direct questions about a certain homework problem they had a night or two before. This different advice helped both groups successfully complete their work. In each of his different classes my CT does not vary the importance of mutual respect, but instead how much direction he gives for work. For instance in his advanced Biology class when he goes around to the different groups he may see that they are working well on the project, but offer out a question to make them think further about what they are doing rather than to guide them. In each instance he is still putting his faith in his students to be able to do the work themselves, but his direction is slightly different.
Because Mr. Reis speaks with his students at times about things unrelated to science, he is able to better understand their personalities, how they best work, and how they process. Although that may not be his intentions when forging relationships with students, it seems to naturally come from these social interactions. I really agree with the idea that students should be the center of the flow of knowledge in a classroom, and teachers should guide them through this process. This gives student ownership of the information rather than just receiving it second hand from someone with greater knowledge of the material. I also like that he uses different prompts to get students where they need to be with work, but one is not more forward than another. In many classrooms I have been a part of a teacher will give one group an answer and another one a guiding question which hardly seems fair. It is important to remain consistent through different classes and with different individuals. My classroom will work in a similar manner because it is important to have students believe their input is valuable to the course the class will take if I want participation to be high.
During group work, my CT does not just approach groups that have questions, but tries to make it around to each team to either observe what they are doing and see if they are on the right track, or if they need a little guidance. His visits with each group are always interactive and never simply an additional lecture or comment. He asks questions to guide them and makes sure that they are heading in the right direction before he moves on. Students value his help and based on their feedback do not seem to expect him to just give answers. I think that in some ways his classroom is based on mutual respect. He values their input as much as they value his, but there is also an understanding of where the control lies in the classroom, and that is with the teacher. As I mentioned in a previous entry, because Mr. Reis shows interest in other aspects of his students lives, he knows how to more effectively guide them in group work. Two different groups had similar questions, but for one he related finding the answer to soccer since three of the students play on his team, and with the other group he did not use a metaphor but just asked them direct questions about a certain homework problem they had a night or two before. This different advice helped both groups successfully complete their work. In each of his different classes my CT does not vary the importance of mutual respect, but instead how much direction he gives for work. For instance in his advanced Biology class when he goes around to the different groups he may see that they are working well on the project, but offer out a question to make them think further about what they are doing rather than to guide them. In each instance he is still putting his faith in his students to be able to do the work themselves, but his direction is slightly different.
Because Mr. Reis speaks with his students at times about things unrelated to science, he is able to better understand their personalities, how they best work, and how they process. Although that may not be his intentions when forging relationships with students, it seems to naturally come from these social interactions. I really agree with the idea that students should be the center of the flow of knowledge in a classroom, and teachers should guide them through this process. This gives student ownership of the information rather than just receiving it second hand from someone with greater knowledge of the material. I also like that he uses different prompts to get students where they need to be with work, but one is not more forward than another. In many classrooms I have been a part of a teacher will give one group an answer and another one a guiding question which hardly seems fair. It is important to remain consistent through different classes and with different individuals. My classroom will work in a similar manner because it is important to have students believe their input is valuable to the course the class will take if I want participation to be high.